This makes sense to me...many of the home remedies for folks with
diabetes includes brewers yeast and other chromium supplements. This
would be for it's effect in lowering the blood sugar content in the
body. So I would agree, giving either supplement to ferrets with
insulinoma is not a great idea.

Kristine

--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Linda Iroff <ferret@m...> wrote:
> Chromium supplements and brewer's yeast (which contains chromium)
have been
> used for insulinomic ferrets because they are thought to "regulate"
blood
> sugar levels. However, all previous studies were done in cases of
HIGH
> blood sugar (ie diabetes) where LOWERING the blood sugar is
considered
> regulating it.
>
> People have read "regulate" and assumed it meant brought to a more
normal
> level. But recent studies have shown that chromium also LOWERS blood
sugar
> levels in normal animals.
>
> Lowering blood sugar is the last thing we want to do for insulinomic
> ferrets!
>
> My information is from Drs. Jerry Murray and Karen Purcell. Dr.
Murray
> discusses this in issue #27 of Modern Ferret Magazine.
>
> Linda Iroff
> Oberlin OH